Front-running Mitchell Road makes most of My Charmer's class relief

Jose Ortiz sent the rail-drawn Mitchell Road right to the front in Saturday’s $100,000 My Charmer, and the older half-sister of Kentucky Derby winner Country House went gate-to-wire to win on Gulfstream Park’s turf.

Mitchell Road, a 4-year-old English Channel filly, entered the non-graded My Charmer off an eighth-place run Oct. 5 in Keeneland’s First Lady (G1). Compared to that field, which included Juliet Foxtrot, Vasilika and eventual Breeders’ Cup Mile champ Uni, the My Charmer represented some healthy class relief for the Bill Mott trainee.

Bettors made Mitchell Road the 2-5 favorite despite a No. 1 post draw. She got out in front to set fractions of :23.37 and :46.57.

Take These Chains, a Ben Colebrook-trained 20-1 shot, chased Mitchell Road valiantly and was just to her outside entering the stretch. Ortiz got enough kick out of Mitchell Road to hold off Take These Chains by 1 ½ lengths.

Mitchell Road covered the mile in 1:34.1 and returned $2.80. Munchkin Money closed late to finish behind the top two.

Mrs. J.V. Shields Jr. and E.J.M. McFadden Jr. campaign the Kentucky-bred Mitchell Road, who sports six wins out of 11 lifetime starts. She took Pimlico’s Gallorette Stakes (G3) on May 18 before running fifth in Saratoga’s Diana (G1) on July 13, second Sept. 7 in Kentucky Downs’ Ladies Turf Stakes (G3) and eighth in the First Lady.

“I was fairly confident," Mott said. "She’s been doing well and, with respect to all the other horses, with the races she’s been running in this maybe would be a little bit of class relief for her because she’s coming off really tough races. She’s run against the very best. It was the spot to get her back.

“We’ll see how she’s doing. Last winter she tailed off a little on us and we had to give her a little time and then she came back nicely in the spring. She does well on this racetrack. We’ll probably try to run her back here.”